types, sizes of images and their uses
– publicity –
Visual perception plays an important role in people’s lives. We are used to seeing aesthetic images everywhere – on the Internet, on the street, on clothes and in books. And often our opinion on a product or service is influenced by the quality and beauty of its advertising, packaging or presentation.
However, have you ever wondered why some images load faster, look sharper, and have more vibrant colors than others? It’s all because of the format of the images. There are many of them, each tailored to the specific needs of creators, influencing the quality, size and usability of the image.
In this article, you will learn about different image formats, their particularities and the best way to use them; all to make your future image more pleasing and produce higher quality results. Read on to find out more!
What is the format of an image file?
An image file format is a standardized numerical structure for organizing and storing graphic data. Image file formats fall into two broad categories: raster (or raster) image files and vector image files.
Raster images are pixel-based; therefore, they may lose quality when scaled to a size not originally intended. Raster images include JPG, PNG, and GIF image files. Content creators should be careful as these files may lose quality after editing. To avoid unpleasant situations that sometimes arise in the format of images, it is best to keep a master file on hand.
In contrast, vectors can be scaled infinitely without loss of meaning because they are created using mathematical formulas. You can make them as small or large as you want, you will always enjoy clean image quality. Vector images, available in EPS, AI, and PDF formats, are commonly used for logos, brochures, and web graphics.
Content platforms like Depositphotos offer vector images in their free collections of high-quality stock photos, vectors, and illustrations.
7 different types of pictures
1. Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG or JPEG)
The Joint Photographic Experts Group, widely known as JPG or JPEG, is one of the most popular image formats used to store digital photographs on the web, mobile devices or PCs. The success of the JPEG image file format can be attributed to its small size. When produced, JPEGs undergo a compression process that greatly reduces their size, making them easier to store and load on websites. But compression goes unnoticed and reduces image quality along with file size. Since each additional compression lowers the image quality, you can use this free tool depositphotos.com/upscaler.html to upscale JPEG images twice.
2.Portable Network Graphics (PNG)
Portable Network Graphics, or PNG, is a lossless image file format that supports transparency and has a wider and brighter color palette than other formats. PNGs are good for web graphics, not printing. These files, unlike JPEGs, provide excellent readability for text. Therefore, PNGs are a very common choice for visuals that include text and graphics, such as banners, infographics and web design. PNG files usually contain more information than JPEG files, so they are larger in size.
3. Graphic Interchange Format (GIF)
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a lightweight raster file format that uses lossless compression and has a color palette limited to 256 colors. GIF files are great for web graphics because of their small size and support for transparent and animated content. This includes logos, icons, email images and banner ads. GIFs embedded in web content will load quickly, but don’t expect them to be of high quality.
4. Portable Document Format (PDF)
This portable document format, known as PDF, is a universal file format for sharing graphics and documents created by Adobe. This allows content to be viewed on any device, regardless of software, hardware and operating system. Although most people think of PDFs as text files, they can also be used to store images and artwork. PDF files are very useful because you can add links, buttons, and form fields to them, and electronically sign them.
5. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is an image file format that, as its name suggests, can be scaled infinitely without loss of quality. This means that SVG files, like any vector file, are suitable for responsive web design, as well as logos, icons, and graphics. Besides being resizable, SVG files are easy to edit, small in size, and allow for interactivity and animation. Additionally, SVGs are SEO-friendly because they are written in XML code; this means that search engines can read their keywords and descriptions and rank pages with SVG images higher in search results.
6. Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)
Encapsulated PostScript, commonly referred to as EPS, is a vector graphics file format widely used in professional printing. Because EPS files allow high-resolution images to be resized, they are a popular choice for large-scale printed visuals, such as billboards, banners, and posters. Encapsulated PostScript is a universal file type compatible with almost all systems and software, including Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw, and QuarkXPress. However, you cannot edit a file after saving it in EPS format.
7. Adobe Illustrator (AI)
AI file, short for Adobe Illustrator, is Adobe’s proprietary file format for vector graphics. Content creators can create digital artwork from scratch using Adobe’s native software, Adobe Illustrator. Other third-party programs allow you to view AI files, but do not support all editing functions. AI files are widely used by designers for both online and offline projects. Also, with this file format, they can freely resize images to their desired size without losing resolution.
Finish
With the large number of image file formats available today, it’s important to know what each of them has to offer in order to choose the best image format for your next project. We hope this guide will help you expand your knowledge, so you can choose the best creative medium for each file.
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